Chapter 8 - Rants and Raves

OK...VERY SORRY! BEFORE THE ANIME CAME OUT, I DID NOT KNOW THAT TENTEN WAS WHITE. SO FROM NOW ON...IGNORE THE TAN THING AND JUST READ IT AS WHITE. OK?
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The sensei stood transfixed, frozen by hope. Not that he had ever believed in luck or hope. He believed in hard work, just like Lee. But desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

He rushed out of Hyuuga Manor, past startled Konohans, past every tree and every bush, until he finally got to Training Ground 32. He knew the teens would be there, since that was where they had trained every day before Tenten got injured. Just like he predicted, the two shinobi were there. But there was something wrong. Lee was yelling at Neji, who in turn was yelling back at him. Gai looked closer. It couldn't be. Were those tearstains on Neji's cheeks? Were the glistening drops of water that fell onto the ground Neji's tears? No. No. No. Neji never cried, no matter what. Why would he be crying now? Unless...

Gai got closer, using the art of invisibility. (Is that really an art?) He got close enough to hear the words being hurled around the training arena. It was mainly Lee yelling, since Neji was too busy trying to choke up the sobs wanting to escape from his body. But Neji yelled too. And everyone knows what can happen when a Hyuuga yells...automatic attack.

"Why did you do that to her anyway, Neji?!"
"I don't know Lee. Shut up and go away."
"No. I won't! I can't! You'll have to force me!"

Neji stood silent. Lee kept ranting on and on about how it was so cruel for a teammate to hurt another teammate, especially if it was a girl. He had probably learned that from Gai, Neji guessed correctly. Then his head snapped up, his eyes widened. Lee had just said something about him, but what was it? The look in his pearly eyes allowed Lee to start the rant all over again, but from the point of the sentence about the long-haired shinobi.

"Well...you stupid bastard, you couldn't have done anything worse, could you?"

Neji bowed his head again, willing his anger not to come out, willing the Byakugan to stay inside a little longer. Unbelievably, his emotions obeyed his will. But when he faced Lee once more, the Taijutsu junior master could see anger flashing in his teammate's eyes. He was immediately concerned, and decided to ask Neji what was wrong.

"Neji...are you feeling ok?"
"Maybe I am...maybe I'm not." His voice shook with anger.
"Maybe you should go and cool off somewhere..."
"Maybe you should just shut up and go away!"

Lee sighed in defeat and walked away. Neji turned in the opposite direction, looking right past his sensei. He looked directly at the sunset, his pearly eyes reflecting the gold and purple of the sky. Then he turned away and walked in the opposite direction Lee had left: heading slowly but steadily for the river winding through the village.

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